Snarled: The Boy and the Thief
by Chaotic Inverse
Summary: Tangled Fusion. Hidden away in his tower for his own safety, lonely Blaine has always wanted to see the outside world, just for a day. His dream becomes a reality when a charming, sarcastic thief tumbles into his home and crash lands them on an adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **one thing you have to understand, while this is a tangled fusion it's not tangled, there will be minimum singing (shocking really considering both of the fandoms) and there are no animal sidekicks. That's all.

I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this, any of this.

Genre would be magical realism I think.

A few of the lines, specifically one's said by Blaine's mother are taken from the film (only because they're amazing and also fit her character very well)

The song is "Are we there yet?" by Ingrid Michaelson.

I own nothing, at all.

-line break-

_He'd never planned on leaving. He knew how unsafe the outside world was, he'd been told many times how dangerous it was. The outside world had thieves and murders, hate and misery. In the outside world, people would hunt him down for his voice. They'd try to hurt him. _

_And though he loved some of the things he'd heard about. Though he wanted to feel the grass beneath his feet, the rain in his hair, though he wanted to run and play. To be normal and for once not lonely. _

_He just couldn't let go of the bad, of all that he'd been told. _

_No, it would take something special to get him to leave. Something worth all of the risks and harm. It would take something amazing to make him leave his tower and his mother. _

_Something amazing did happen. _

_Or rather someone amazing. _

_Kurt. _

Blaine has never jumped in a pile of leaves, has never dug his toes into sand or let the sound of the waves slowly roll over him. He's never been in a car and the concept of planes terrify him. He's never felt blades of grass against his feet. He has never jumped from a swing when it gets _just _the right height. He's never seen a real movie, not one in a theater in sticky seats with a bucket full of popcorn.

And Blaine has never left home.

As far back as he can remember, in all nearly sixteen years of life he's never done a single one of these things.

It's not that bad. Not really. He has his home and his mother, he has his book and the small tv. He has the stars in the sky and the setting sun. He has everything he needs.

It's not that bad.

Really.

For the small. _reasonable _list of things Blaine has never done, there are many more that he has. He's done everything important anyway.

He thinks.

Crossing over into the list of things that he hasn't done, there are only two minimal things that Blaine can never do.

The first is that he can never leave the tower. Blaine is not allowed to step even a single foot outside, he's never touched the tall grass surrounding it. He doesn't know why he's not allowed to leave, but the rules are in place for his own protection and he has to follow them.

The second is just as important. It is the reason he must stay inside, the reason for all the other rules and the reason that he needs protection from the rest of the world (the cruel, strange world that lay outside the tower.) Blaine must not sing. He cannot sing when he is alone and he cannot sing at all when anyone could hear. He's only allowed to sing when his mother comes to visit, and only then.

The rules keep him safe. He knows that. Without them the outside world would have gotten him a long time ago. He knows Mother worries about him, sometimes _too_ much. He knows all of this but.

But sometimes he wishes she wouldn't. He's not so young anymore, he's not a little kid and he wants to prove that to her. He wants to show her who he is. (If only he knew who that was.)

_-Line break-_

The Tower got it's name because of it's shape. It had built over a hundred years ago and the original owner had wanted privacy, he'd wanted to be left alone and had set to building his home as far away from the rest of the city as possible. His Tower's final resting place came in the form of a massive forest.

After all one definitely wanted privacy from something at least if they hid their home in a forest, miles away from the nearest city.

To blend in with the rest of the trees he'd made the house go up in length instead of widening. He'd made it out of stone and wood, until it nearly blended in with the rest of the forest.

By the time Blaine's mother had found it, it had been abandoned for many years and was in need of more repairs than she could count. She'd fixed it all up by hand, building and repairing whatever needed it. She'd fixed the windows, and the paint, she'd planted new trees near it and had cleared out the weeds.

The one thing she hadn't fixed was the broken door. Instead she'd replaced, boarding up the space with new strong pieces of wood.

The Tower was finally _safe_. She and Blaine were as safe from harm as she could possible make them and she'd smiled as she sealed herself and the baby inside.

_-Line break-_

The sky was pitch black as a shrouded figure approached the still tower. The forest was near dead asleep and it had taken her most of the day to make the trip. She paused when she was a few feet away, her feet were sore and tired from what had been nearly an entire days walk.

It took her a few minutes to regain her breathing, or at least try. For the past half hour she'd felt her control slipping away as it became harder to breathe and harder to think clearly. Already she could feel her life starting to slip away.

Pressing her hands to her shirt she could feel a stain against it and she knew it was blood. If she pressed harder then she'd feel the accursed wound, she could already smell the blood. Feel the metallic taste of it in her mouth.

"Blaine, I'm here. Blaine!" Sometimes she thought this boy would be the death of her.

Impatiently waiting she saw a light appear and then another before Blaine's face appeared at the window. She thought she saw him smile before the window was pushed open and a rope was tossed down.

Carefully she wrapped it around herself. Over the years he'd grown strong, and now she relied on him to get inside instead of how she had before he'd become stronger. She knew Blaine hadn't understood how she got in but he never questioned it. Her obedient boy.

Within minutes she was pulled safely inside and her feet touched the stone floor. "Mother." Blaine greeted warmly, happily. "How was your trip into the city?"

She frowned at him, eyes straying to the large grandfather clock in the center of the 'living room'. "Blaine, don't mumble. You know how I feel about the mumbling."

Blaine sighed. "Sorry mother." he apologized.

His mother smiled at him uneasily. "It's alright pet. Why don't we go into the living room? You can sing me a nice song and I'll tell you about my trip into the city."

Blaine nodded and she followed him into the dusty living room, sitting down in a broken-in armchair. Blaine glanced at her once more before grabbing her hand and then he began to sing. "They say you're really not somebody, until somebody else loves you, Well I am waiting to make somebody, somebody soon."

He didn't have to sing a specific song; and he usually just sang whatever he wanted unless mother requested something. There was no incantation or chant needed. It just happened whenever he sang. All of it; the glow, the healing, everything happened whenever he sang and for that Blaine was kept in the tower, away from the rest of the world.

All because of a song.

"Thank you Blaine." she said and she pulled the hood off, carefully touching her face. She relaxed as she felt the smooth unbroken skin, and when Blaine wasn't looking she double checked by gently pressing her hands against her stomach, coming back without a single trace of blood.

"Will you tell me about your trip now?" he asked quietly, sitting on the floor near the armchair.

She waved a hand dismissively. "It wasn't that exciting but I'll tell it to you if you really want me to." she looked over at him and continued. "The weather was terrible, though I expected it to be, there's a storm heading our way soon."

"When I reached the city my money was nearly stolen twice, and I only had enough to buy you a new jacket and food for the next week and a half."

Blaine looked guiltier and guiltier as she continued and by the end of the story his face was more apologetic than she'd ever seen it be. "I'm sorry for all the trouble you went through mother."

She patted his arm sympathetically, a worn-out smile on her face. "It's fine Blaine, I went because I love you."

"I love you more mother." Blaine said, still thinking of the shirt and the food and the harsh long trip into the city.

In the dim light of the candles, her smile almost liked sharper, as if she'd had fangs. "I love you most."

_-line break-_

His mother stayed for nearly three more days, leaving only right before the storm hit. She smiled as she left and promised to come back in less than a week, with more canned food and blankets because it was starting to get colder and when the weather became harsher it would be nearly impossible to get to the tower.

Blaine watched her until she faded into the forest, disappearing into a sea of green and pitch-black night. Watching the only person he had leave even for good reasons, was the worst part of living in the tower.

He was so tired of being lonely. He was constantly alone and he hated it. The lack of people, the lack of space, the lack of everything.

Blaine blew out the candles in the 'living room' and 'kitchen' leaving the only light in the tower being the small candle he carried in his hand. Quietly, the tower was always quiet, Blaine made his way to his room.

Didn't he deserve to be not alone? For as long as he could remember he'd always been alone. The one constant of his life was just the tower, with his mother flittering in between.

Blaine set the last candle on the wooden table next to his bed and blew it out, encasing the tower in complete darkness, with not even the light of the moon, blocked by the storm clouds, to peak in.

Completely alone.

_Well I am wanting to make somebody somebody soon, _Blaine thought before letting himself fall asleep, thoughts of loneliness and somebodies still spinning around in his head.

"_Mother, why can't I go outside?" He is young. Maybe five or six, maybe even as old as seven, and he still has not learned the truth. He spends most of his days looking outside. Right now he's completely amazed with the fresh grass and the bright blue sky. _

_Mother why can't I go outside? Mother why do I have to stay here? Please mother?_

_She looked over at him, a frown on her face. "You know why you can't go outside."_

_He shook his head, "No mother I don't. I know I have to stay in but why?"_

_For a long time or what seems like a long time to him, she doesn't say anything, she doesn't even move. She's almost scarily still and silent until she makes up her mind. "If I tell you why, and I will only tell you why once, then you must never ask me to leave again."_

"_Thank you mother." he says excitedly but she stops him by raising a single hand. _

"_Do we have a promise pet?"_

_He always keeps his promises. _always. _and this has to be big, it has to be something really big or else mother would have told him, but he wants to know. He needs to know why he can't go outside. _

"_I promise mother."_

_She tells him later that night, when he is half-asleep and tucked into bed. "Once upon a time there was a very special little boy." He smiled at that part, because nearly all of her stories started that way. "The little boy was special, he could do something no one else ever could and to keep him safe, safe away from a violent and dangerous world, his mother kept him hidden. Kept him safe."_

_He sat up, leaning against her. Dangerous? Violent? He barely knew what those words were. In the world of his tower they're was little need for them. "why was it dangerous?"_

_She petted his hair, voice quiet, almost distant as she spoke. "Because pet. the world is filled with violent and dangerous people. People who steal and lie and cheat, people who murder other people. Dangerous, bloodthirsty people, who kill others for no reason-" she presses a hand against her chest, trying to calm herself down. She is fine, she is okay. _

"_Mother?" he's looking at her in concern, wide hazel eyes and she gives him a weak smile. _

"_I'm fine, I just don't like talking about such things especially with a young child." she laughed at his indignant look. "Yes you still count as a child. After all only children like hearing bedtime stories."_

_He rolled his eyes. "Mother! Just continue please?"_

"_so impatient. Maybe I should stop? No? well I did promise to tell you after all." she took another breath and when she was sure she was calm enough and in control enough she continued. "And yes while the world is dangerous and violent and completely unsafe it's not just enough reason to keep you here. That's only part of it. When you were younger something happened."_

"_what? What happened?"_

"_This was before we lived in the tower, and yes there was a time, a very small amount of the time when we didn't live in the tower but I could only handle the city for so long and after what happened I knew I needed a better home to protect you."_

"_Mother! What happened?" he asked excitedly and he flushed, when he realized he had yelled. "Sorry mother."_

"_You were very young, still just a baby and I was alone. This was just after your father had died and I was so tired from working and taking care of you. I always made sure to lock all the doors and windows though, no matter how tired I was. Always. Somehow though they still got into the house."_

_She heard him breathe in sharply, "Someone came into our house?"_

"_Yes pet, a bad person. A very bad person. Two very bad people in fact. A man and a woman. The man was searching for things to sell. In the city they always trade stolen goods, breaking into the houses of the elderly and the poor. The woman however didn't want gold or jewels, she didn't want cash or any other valuable. She just wanted one thing__-__—you." _

_Suddenly frightened, he grabbed her hand, getting as close to her as he possibly could. "Somehow she knew about you. About what could happen when you sang, well at the time it wasn't when you sang but when someone sang when touching you, even just merely holding you would make it work."_

"_What happened to the bad woman, mother?" he asked scared, worried about the woman and the man trying to break into the tower. He imagined them having sharp pointy claws and bloody fangs. "she's not still trying to steal me is she?"_

"_I managed to keep you safe, and after that I found the tower. I kept you safe. And the woman won't find you, I promise you pet she won't ever find you."_

_He relaxed though he was still holding her hand. "Mother I don't think I want to hear anymore of this story."_

_She paused. "If that's what you want then fine pet. Just remember that it's over with, you're safe as long as you stay in this tower."_

_He shuddered glancing out the window. "I won't ever leave the tower mother, I promised and I don't want to be out there. It sounds scary."_

"_It is scary, pet but you'll always have me to protect you and you'll always have our home." and then she sat up, stretching out the kinks in her bones. She was so tired from speaking and talking about such things. She hated even thinking about it but he'd made her. "I love you, pet."_

"_Mother?" he said quietly when she was almost out of the room, hand on the door. _

_She paused, leaning against it. "Yes?"_

"_I love you more." he said earnestly, sincerely because he had no one else to love and so he'd given it all to her. _

_She smiled at him, still a child, and still so young. Still so easy. It would get harder, everything always got harder and more horrible as the years went by. "I love you most."_

_For now it was still easy enough, for right now he still listened to her. _

Blaine kept waking up throughout the night because of the storm. It was one of the worst storms he'd ever seen and it went on for two days without stop. By the time it ended he'd almost thrown himself into a panicking thinking the tower would fall down.

He was just panicking of course but what would he have done if the tower had actually fallen? It was so inconceivable to even think about. He'd be lost without the tower, it was his only home.

The inside of the house wasn't very damaged though the wind had knocked over one of his bookshelves and a table in the 'living room'. He didn't bother checking the outside of the tower, there was no point to it.

It was while cleaning the last part of the bookshelf that he heard it. The sound of scratching. Blaine thought he was just imagining it at first. He was tired from the storm and he was alone, so it wasn't completely unreasonable to hear what sounded like scratching.

When it happened again he figured it was just a bird or squirrel. Animals were common during the daylight though by nightfall they'd all but vanished.

Blaine paused and stood, book still in hand. The sound, whatever it was, was getting closer, becoming louder until he realized it wasn't scratching but something else entirely. Something he'd never heard before.

Blaine looked around, trying to find something to defend himself with. What was he supposed to do? The tower was supposed to be safe. It had to be safe. The tower was safe.

Blaine looked at the book in his hand and sighed. _Shakespeare's complete works volume one would have to be good enough. _Glancing over at the window and hearing the continued scratching sound, he got ready, the book raised over his head as he tried not to panic.

The scratching stopped as hands came into view, and within seconds someone was pushing themselves in through the window, they landed gracefully on the floor and without even thinking about it Blaine struck out, succeeding in actually hitting the person through a mix of fear and nervousness than real skill.

The person went down. _hard_, though that might have been because their head hit the hard stone floor instead of Blaine's hit.

Blaine frowned frustrated and still nervous as he moved closer to the unconscious person. "Did I kill him?" what if he killed him? He'd accidentally killed someone. But it wasn't his fault, they'd broken into the tower, they had come into _his _home. What was he supposed to do?

Blaine crouched down as his curiosity quickly overcame his fear. He felt that he deserved to at least look at this person who'd broken into his home. And besides he had to get at least a bit closer to see if he'd killed him or not. _let it be the latter option. _

The man, or maybe boy, he couldn't tell how old the person was, but he was at least as old as Blaine. The boy had pale skin and light brown hair, he was tall and almost painfully skinny and as this was only the second person Blaine had ever seen, he wondered if this was common. He wanted to know what color his eyes were. Were they hazel like his or green like his mother's? What did he sound like? Did he like singing? Did he have friends? Did he just have a mother?

There was so much he wanted to know, so little he didn't know.

The boy just looked so different, so weird, but Blaine thought he liked it. He was reassured to the boy's status as living by the rise and fall of his chest.

And then the boy started to wake up, moaning and blinking open his eyes and Blaine panicked all over again, calmness and curiosity completely gone. He raised the book again and the boy was out like a light.

Blaine sighed, looking at the ruffled-crinkled pages of his book and the boy passed out on the floor. "That could have worked out better."

-chapter one end-


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **I'm glad everyone liked the first chapter and I'm glad people saw Blaine as Rapunzel. Sorry about the bit of a wait but I was working on 'Beast' and a few one-shots.

Enjoy

-line break-

Kurt woke up knowing two things. The first was simply this-his head was killing him. It felt like the time Finn had accidentally given him a concussion though without the added bonus of having Finn shrieking in his ear thinking that he'd killed him.

The second was that he had no idea where he was and what had happened. Not at first anyway. As he struggled to open his eyes he tried to think on what had lead him here. He quickly realized he was tied up, arms and legs bound to a thin chair but why?

He held back a groan as he remembered exactly why he had started to climb what he had assumed to be an abandoned tower. It had been his only escape route at the time and he'd been desperate, in return for his desperation he'd been knocked out cold and tied to a chair.

Silently he stretched his wrists, seeing if he could manage to reach the back of his coat pockets.

"You can come forward now." he said quietly, silently amused as the person in the shadows jumped, stepping back. He'd noticed them a few seconds after he'd woken up, they weren't exactly sneaky after-all. He could only assume that this was the owner of the tower and the person who tied him. "Really all of this will work out easier for the both of us if you just-"

"Who are you?" the person said cutting him off. By his voice Kurt guessed they were male though it was still hard to tell when they were speaking so quietly. "What do you want? How did you find this place?"

Kurt sighed. "Does any of that really matter? Can you just untie me please? These ropes are starting to dig in." he frowned, staring down at them. "Wait, is this a bed sheet?"

"What kind of person carries rope around with them?" the person in the shadows said defensively and finally he stepped forward. Kurt had guessed correctly-very correctly. It was a boy with dark wild hair and narrowed hazel eyes, he was biting on his lip and he looked almost nervous as he held a heavy looking book in his hands.

"Did you hit me with _that_?" He'd been knocked out by a kid with a book, a good-looking kid but a kid nonetheless. How pathetic, he needed to keep a better guard up though it had been a desperate situation. "Really?"

The kid flushed, "It was all I had." he mumbled and then he shook his head, starting forward. "Last time I checked I was the one asking questions and you were the one tied up."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "What are your questions then? I'll answer them gladly if it'll get me untied any faster."

"Who are you?" first question and already so unoriginal. But then again how could he expect better from someone who lived in a tower? He didn't think it would take much to get himself untied, though it would go faster and easier if the kid just untied him already.

"Finn." he said immediately, pushing away thoughts of his step-brother. He refused to even think about his family. It had been almost a year but the wounds still felt fresh and raw. "My name is Finn and what's yours?"

The kid blinked at him surprised. "What?"

Kurt smirked. "Well it's only fair isn't it? You know my name, I should at least know yours."

"My name is Blaine." the kid-Blaine said quietly.

It fit him Kurt thought, quickly glancing over the boy. Both the boy and the name had an old-time feel, as if he didn't belong in the present and the tower just solidified that fact.

"Next question." he said quickly, hoping to startle the boy. At this point he was at the weaker advantage and that was not acceptable for Kurt Hummel.

Blaine did look a bit startled though he hadn't fazed him that badly. "What do you want?" he said, hands tightening around his book and Kurt watched him warily. He wasn't going to be knocked out by this kid again.

"To get untied." he said wryly, delighted to see a flash of frustration cross Blaine's face.

"That's not what I-"

"Next question." Kurt prodded. "You might have all day but I don't."

"How did you find the tower?"

Kurt frowned and thought about this for a moment. He didn't understand why anyone would purposely try to find this tower? It was little more than decorated bricks and badly made furniture though judging by the fearful look on Blaine's face there was obviously a reason he was here. The most likely answer was that he was hiding something or from someone. Why else would someone-a teenager live in a tower in the middle of nowhere that was near impossible to get in? that wasn't enough evidence of anything though, all substantial. "I ran into it you could say."

Blaine opened his mouth to speak and he cut him off. "Haven't you heard? Three questions is the limit." he said as he felt the ropes drop to his floor and he jumped to his feet. Before Blaine could do much of anything Kurt had grabbed a vase from a near by table and smashed it over his head sending the shorter boy toppling to the floor.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Next time." he said to the prone form. "Make sure to check someone's pockets and see if they have weapons in there." Smiling he flicked the pocket knife close and with a sigh he massaged his sore wrists.

First priority was making sure it was safe and then leaving this dreadfully decorated tower though he did have a small window of opportunity to see if there was anything valuable. Kurt headed towards the next room, only stopping to bend down and pick up Blaine's book. He laughed as he read the title. "At least he has decent taste in something."

_-line break-_

Blaine's head was killing him. He'd never hurt his head before and if this is what it felt like then he never wanted to again. "Mmfmm." slowly very slowly he tried to open his eyes and then flinched back from the sudden bright light.

"Oh don't make me pour water on you though I doubt you even have a sink in this place." a voice said disdainfully and Blaine jolted awake as if someone _had _poured cold water on him.

He pushed himself off the floor never taking his eyes off the man sitting lazily in his armchair. Finn was flipping through one of Blaine's books, pausing every now and then though he didn't even so much as look up at Blaine.

"Why are you still here?" he asked mind racing with possibilities. Finn was like the woman and the man who'd tried to steal him before, he would sell him for his voice and take him away from his home. He'd do all of the terrible things mother had said the outsiders did. He'd- "I can't get down."

Blaine stared at him, mind blank. Finally when he could think of nothing else to say and half wondering if he'd imagined it, "Excuse me?"

"Has the horrible outdated décor damaged your hearing? Because I think it's affecting my eye-sight." Finn said conversationally. "I said I cant' get out of this tower. Perfectly clear, nine little words-ten if you don't count contractions."

Blaine sighed. "You're kidding right?" How is that this guy could untie himself and then knock out Blaine all within a minute but couldn't get out of the tower. "Can't you just jump out or something?" he wasn't going to make this easy, not for this guy. Not when he was still potentially a thief. "How did you get inside last time?"

"A very nice piece of rope which fell to the ground unfortunately." Finn looked at him over the book, eyebrow raised. "You think I'm staying here by choice?"

"I don't actually care why you're staying, just get out." he glanced over at the thief and thought about how he'd gotten himself out of those ropes in minutes and hadn't even been concerned about smashing a vase over Blaine's head. "Please."

Finn laughed. "There's nothing I want more but I can't do this on my own. I know there's a way out of this tower."

Blaine scowled at him, handing coming up to rub at his head when it came back it was covered in drying blood. "I'm not going to help a thief like you."

Finn smirked at him and closed the book gently setting it aside. "And that is where you're wrong, because you my dear under-dressed scraggly friend are going to help me to the best of your doubtlessly limited abilities."

He frowned at him, "Why would I do that?" For half a second he was afraid that he would be threatened but two things reassured him-though he and Finn were of close height he was stockier still, and two Finn needed him to get out of the tower; only Blaine knew the ways in and out.

Slowly Finn reached behind him and Blaine was momentarily blinded by a flash of light.

"No." he felt his face drain, turning pale very quickly as he stared at his mother's prize possession; the golden chain, the small but bright ruby stone. "H-how did you get that?" He couldn't remember a time that his mother hadn't owned it. She never wore it and he didn't ask her why, not when she seemed to care for it so much, it always stayed inside it's worn but clean and cared for box. He'd never been allowed to touch it and she always kept it hidden away.

Finn shrugged casually. "It's not that hard to search an unconscious boy's…_tower._"

Angry he lunged forward trying to grab the necklace. Finn laughed and darted away, as Blaine chased after him. Quickly growing tired he flicked out his knife showing it very carefully to the other boy. "Going to help me now?"

He tried to think of any other options but could come up with nothing, in defeat he glared up at the ceiling knowing that if he looked at Finn then he'd try to hurt the man or worse. "How do you know I won't just let you fall to your death?" he asked daring to glance up at the thief.

Finn smirked again and put the necklace around his neck, the bright red stone contrasting with his pale skin. "From what I can tell you don't seem like the type to kill, or else you would have had a more deadly weapon than a _book_."

The bastard was right. Blaine had never even killed so much as bug and he knew he couldn't kill the man, he could barely hurt him. It irritated him that Finn could read him so easily when he couldn't get a trace on him at all.

He sighed and looked at him. "Alright." he said softly in defeat. "I'll help you get out."

Quickly, suddenly an idea came upon him, one that was so strange and so near impossible that if asked later Blaine would admit that he might have temporarily went insane. "But only on one condition."

Finn frowned at him. "I don't think you're understanding the rules of our situation."

-_line break-_

It was getting worse even with her boy's help. She could barely concentrate most days, but it had been getting worse recently. Her skin pained her as if someone had slice it to pieces, which was close to the truth and sometimes she swore she had blood on her fingertips.

Today had been the final straw. Suddenly she'd been overtaken by coughing and after an agonizing amount of time she'd coughed up blood, a lot of it. Shaken and furious at her own body rotting on her she'd left earlier than she planned to, by nearly two days.

She needed to visit her boy. She was dying. She could feel herself dying and just thinking about it made the pain in her chest intensify. Quickening she hurried her steps, almost trying over a large set of roots in her way.

_-line break-_

Kurt narrowed his eyes at the kid, "Repeat that one more time because now I'm sure I'm the one losing my hearing."

Blaine sighed exasperated. "Again, really? I told you twice already that all you have to do is escort me to the nearest town and bring me back or even give me a map and that's it."

He thought about it for a moment, going over the possibilities in his mind. He would be in control of this deal, even though he had a higher risk factor. In most situations he'd be worried about the kid double-crossing him and turning him in but this was only a kid and he'd need Kurt to get him home. And who was to say that he actually had to bring the kid home? The nearest town was only a few miles away and he could leave as soon as he brought the kid there. It was easy and after his last job he needed something easy. The added advantage of getting farther from Columbus was just sweetening on the pot.

Smirking slightly he made up his mind but decided to have fun with the boy first. "What's to stop me from just killing you and taking this necklace on my way down?"

The kid looked uncomfortable and he looked around nervously before shrugging, "Nothing I guess."

Kurt stood stretching out his sore limbs, even though the kid's knots hadn't been that tight they were still decent enough to hurt. "Thought so. And why then should I help you at all?"

Blaine smiled slowly. "I might not have checked your pockets but I did check something else." He said and then held up Kurt's satchel which looked noticeably lighter as if someone…as if he'd opened it. God damn it he hadn't even noticed it was missing. "It's hidden, somewhere in this tower and seeing as you've already combed the entire place looking for a way to get out I can guarantee you won't find it without me."

_God-fucking-damn it. _He'd underestimated him because of his age and his appearance and the fact that he wasn't a thief and now Kurt was stuck. Well, this day was certainly starting to become full of mistakes. He'd have to fix that soon.

Kurt's eyes narrowed and he barely contained his angry, trying to remind himself that killing or hurting the boy wouldn't help him. He had better control than that, he could handle this kid and his plan would end the same way as he intended minus these few mishaps. "Alright then, we better start get going. The nearest town is a fair few miles away and if we're walking then it'll take us till tomorrow."

Blaine relaxed and smiled at him again, and he was temporarily off put by how bright it looked.

He shook his head as Blaine got ready. He had a job to do, and nothing was going to stop him from finishing it.

"Finn?" For half- a second Kurt didn't remember his 'name' but quickly he realized and he looked up at Blaine with a questioning glance. "It's time to go."

Kurt took a look at all of the books, at the old weathered arm-chair, of the general feel of home in such a small space and thought of a different home. "Lead the way."

_-line break-_

"Is this really it?" Finn said glancing distrustfully at the rope. It was threaded through a hook at the top of the ceiling and separated it for two sides.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Just tie it around yourself and you'll be fine. I promise."

Finn snorted, "I'm a thief kid, I don't trust so easily."

"Please just stop being difficult and tie it around yourself. You said we had a long walk."

After a few more minutes of squabbling ("Arguing Blaine, we are arguing in a very civilized manner") and pleading, Finn finally let him tie the rope around his waist, threatening that if he dropped him he'd find a way back in and cut off all of Blaine's hair.

"Okay, slow it down a bit. I'm almost on the ground."

Finn untied the rope and yanked it lightly, feet touching the ground as he waited for Blaine. "Out of curiosity how are _you _going to get down?"

He grinned down at him, "I've got it covered. Just watch." Blaine swung his legs out the wind, resting momentarily on the windowsill as he tried to calculate his jump. He knew which branches were weak and which were strong, he knew what could support his weight and what couldn't because he'd lived here, because all he could do was watch and this tree had been as close to the outside as he'd ever gotten.

But in that moment of trying to figure out his jump he suddenly realized what he was doing. This wasn't something minor, it wasn't something little or insignificant-he was breaking the rules, he was breaking one of the only rules he had. And for what? One day of freedom.

He just wanted one day. One day to know what the outside world was like, to see if it was really that scary as mother said it was, he wanted to know what the grass felt like beneath his feet, he wanted to see the city and see all of the people, he wanted to not be lonely for _just _once.

Even if it meant breaking the rules.

Blaine glanced down at the ground and the impatient looking Finn. It was just for a day, just one day after all to know what he was missing and then he wouldn't need it anymore. He would never break the rules again, because it wouldn't matter anymore.

Just a day. His day.

"Kid come on! We have to get somewhere near the main roads before dark." Finn yelled out and Blaine nodded shakily, feet touching the branches.

He almost jumped back. The wood was cold from the storm but not wet anymore and he wanted to stay for a moment and just feel it but Finn was waiting and the rest of the world was just a few steps away.

Carefully he climbed down and stopped when his feet were only a inch or two off the ground. This was the final step, he couldn't just go back after this. Could he really do this?

"Come on." Finn said again but this time in a softer tone no longer yelling but staring at him with an unreadable look. "All you have to do is get your feet on the ground and the hardest part is over."

Blaine looked at Finn as let go of the branch and in the same instant he fell, feet touching the soft grass for the first time.

-end chapter 2-


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's notes: **thanks for all the kind reviews, I appreciate them and I'm glad everyone thinks Blaine makes such a good Rapunzel. I just want everyone to remember that despite the lighthearted premise and being based off of a fairytale it is going to be a bit dark.

Enjoy and ask whatever questions you may.

-Line break-

"Can you please stop freaking out about everything now? Or do you _still_ need more time to process it all?" Finn asked sarcastically, arms crossed as he stared at Blaine who was indeed freaking out in the best way possible.

Blaine flushed, feet still mid-leg in the stream of cold water. "I'm sorry." He was such an idiot. Just because it was his first time outside didn't mean he had to act like a wild dog chasing his own tail. Smiling slightly he pressed his feet against the wet sand. "Just….give me a few more minutes and then we'll be on our way. Okay?"

Finn sighed. He didn't appreciate having to stop every few minutes because Blaine saw something new or wanted to know what something felt like. They'd barely made any progress at all and they'd be lucky if they made it to a small town before it got dark.

"You have five minutes of acting like the lunatic you are before we start moving again. Understood?"

Blaine smiled at him and he was momentarily caught off guard. "Thanks Finn." The mention of his brother's name quickly shattered whatever hold it had and he shook his head, scowling lightly. He needed to stay focused.

Finn closed his eyes, trying to relax though it was hard when he could hear the kid splashing around every now and then, laughing freely. He bet Blaine had never suffered hardship; he bet that he didn't know what loss or loneliness felt like.

A second later he heard a quiet sound—of someone humming. It was low and melodic, some catchy overrated-tune he'd heard on the radio once or twice before and Finn kept his eyes close enjoying the temporary peace.

Finally, when he couldn't wait any longer, when his intuition was yelling at him to move and move now damn it, he shoved off the tree. "Five minutes are up."

Blaine sighed and stepped out of the stream, feet cold against the grass but he didn't complain, he was too entranced by the feeling of it to complain. "So what's the town called?"

"Hmm?"

He sped up trying to keep on the same pace as Finn who could walk faster due to his taller legs. "What's the town called?" he repeated more loudly. "You know the one where you're taking me."

For a few minutes he didn't say anything and all Blaine could hear were the sounds of the forest, the sounds he'd grown up with. Whether he was in his tower or not they sounded the same and that at least gave him some comfort. "McKinley." Finn said at last, sounding almost hesitant. "The town is called McKinley."

Blaine grinned. "What's it like?" he'd never heard of it, though he'd never heard of very many towns. Mother never liked to mention names in her tales about her travels and he'd always been more interested in the stories themselves than the actual names. His books only mentioned famous places or places that weren't real though that didn't stop him from wishing.

"Honestly?"

"Yes, of course."

Finn glanced over at him. "It's boring. It's average size and dreadfully boring, the people are nasty and arrogant and there's not much to do. Though it's better than some towns, it's no Westerville or Columbus."

"Oh." He said very quietly.

It took Finn a few minutes to realize what the issue was and he hid a small smirk, though the old-him would have felt guilty for doing so. If Blaine became disillusioned then all the better for him. Maybe heading for McKinley wasn't such a bad choice after all though the closeness to Lima was making him uneasy.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think differently." He said smiling charmingly at the other boy. "In fact I'm sure it'll suit your _tastes_ exactly." He said thinking of one specific place in general. If the insanity of New Direction's Bar didn't scare him then he doubted Blaine would be scared by anything.

Blaine blinked looking confused. "Okay?"

Finn's smiled widened. "Actually I think we better hurry, don't want to miss all the good sights, right? After all there's only so much you can fit in on one day."

-_line break-_

She could sense something was wrong. As soon as she stepped into the woods she could sense it but she hadn't fully realized it until she'd reached the clearing that separated her boy and the tower from the rest of the dark woods.

The tower looked off. Despite it being evening she could see now candles, she could smell no food cooking, and even if she listened as closely as she could she still couldn't hear the sounds of her boy bustling around.

For a moment she stood, stunned and still and at last she darted forward. "Blaine!" She screeched, voice rising. "Pet, I'm here. Blaine come to the window!"

No sound greeted her, none ever would and when she realized that she let out a shriek of rage, racing around to the back of the tower. Her thoughts focused entirely on two things: her boy and the pain pressing up tightly against her ribs.

She felt around and pushed against the stone, looking for the entrance she hadn't had to use since her boy grew strong. At last she found it and she pushed against it with all her strength, until it fell away and she raced up the spiral stairs, into the pitch-blackness. When she could move no further she pushed up, light filtering through the tunnel, only a few shades brighter than the tunnel itself.

"Pet?" she whispered. The rooms were silent, for once—because as soon as her boy had start talking he'd never stopped, always making one sound or the other. She closed her eyes against the pain and started forward because he had to be somewhere. He was just hiding because he was safe; he was still in the tower.

The kitchen and the living room were both painfully empty and at last, fear curling in her gut, she slowly headed for the stairs. His room, the room he'd had since he was a babe, was empty too and the sight of it felt like someone had stabbed at her and she leant against the doorway for support.

He was really gone. Someone had finally taken him like she'd suspected, like she'd thought all those years. Someone had taken him—suddenly she let out a scream that sounded more like a howl and her voice cracked a bit but all she could think about was the pain now and she fell against the floor, one hand on the bedside table for support.

When her fit ended, what might have been hours or perhaps just a few minutes later, and when she could stand again, with weak wobbly knees, she knew what she had to do. She would find Blaine again.

She would find him and she wouldn't let anything or anyone get in her way.

-line break-

"Would you two hurry up and stop arguing?" she hissed out in dismay watching as her customers stared at Quinn and Rachel fighting again, if she was lucky they'd stop before Santana's shift started or she'd have complete madness on her hands…again.

Finally when they wouldn't stop she brought her fingers up to her mouth and whistled loudly. "Over, here now!" She barked out, arms crossed and an equally crossed expression on her face.

"What is it?" Rachel asked.

"What do you want?" Quinn said sullenly though she'd expected none-less from her waitress.

Tina's eyes narrowed. "What I want is for my two best waitresses to actually get along and stop disrupting my customers and my peace or I'll fire both of you right now on the spot without another thought. And I know both of you need this job."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest. "I don't see why I should be punished when I am simply defending myself from her attacks."

Quinn snorted. "I said your stockings, which are covered in giraffes for fuck's sake, could be thrown out with our next trash, that's not much of an insult."

"What did I just say?" Tina asked, "I mean it this time. I have plenty of girls who can get along civilly that want to work here. Calm down or hang up your aprons. Understood? Good now get your asses back to work before I make Puck throw you out."

Quinn wrinkled her nose at the sound of their bartender-bouncers name and Tina wasn't imaging the absolute disdain that crossed her face. "Fine." She muttered quietly before picking up a tray and walking towards one of the larger tables, her dark green dress fading into the crowd.

She sighed. "Rachel go pick up table seven, they've been waiting fifteen minutes." And without another glance she started polishing some of the glasses.

Despite the petty remarks, snide glances and hatred of each other they were in fact her best waitresses. Rachel had originally been working for Tina's father and when he'd passed on and she'd inherited the bar Rachel had stayed. Quinn hadn't started working for her until two years ago. She'd been in a tight spot and Tina had given her a job and found her place to live in.

Four years ago Tina had never thought her life would turn out like this. She and Mike were going to move to one of the bigger cities and they'd both work for their dreams, all while keeping a hold on each other. And then her dad had just died, suddenly, devastatingly and she was the oldest, she was the one that had to hold things together while the rest of her family grieved. In the end she'd settled into ownership just nicely and she and Mike were still together even if they desperately missed each other.

The bell jingled and the door opened and Tina didn't even look up, not even when the music (which was another thing Rachel and Quinn, and yes all the rest of the girls fought over) stopped playing.

"—and this is the place, I was telling you about kid." Tina froze at the sound of the familiar voice and very slowly she glanced over at Puck who nodded.

Tina reached down under the bar and then strolled around it, making her way towards the center of the room. She could see him now. He didn't look much different, a bit more scratched and bruised, a bit more wild-looking than last time. The boy next to him wasn't one of his usual _friends _though. He was a few years younger and a few inches shorter with dark wild hair.

Tina stepped forward, breaking through the crowd of people, the front of which were her waitresses, all of them chatting excitedly at him. "What the hell you doing here, Rider?" She asked cocking the gun in her hands and pointing it at the thief. Puck walked behind them pressing his own gun against the small of Rider's back.

The dark-haired kid's eyes widened and he swung his head around to look at Rider. "What did you do?"

-line break-

The weather sucked in Westerville though it probably sucked everywhere he had a feeling it was just sucking wherever he went. Sighing he pulled the jacket closer to him, it was ratty and would probably tear soon but when he'd left home it had been perfectly fine, new even. It had been what a year now? Why was he even doing this anymo—no he knew why and he couldn't give up now, he was so close.

It's a bit weird talking to someone on a payphone in the middle of the night while it's raining but by now his life has equated down to the weird and there's nothing else left. "Hey." He said quietly, knowing that she was probably still at the hospital and wouldn't even get this till tomorrow but he always called in. "I know I was supposed to call yesterday but I couldn't get near a phone. I still haven't found him but I think I'm getting close. I'll call you again same as always, next Friday…I love you. Bye."

He stepped out of the booth and looked around wondering how much a ticket would cost. Taking the train would be so much easier but he's not exactly heavy in the cash department. Oh well, McKinley can't be that far away.

-line break-

"What did you do?" Blaine asked half-curious half-scared out of his mind, glancing between Finn and the girl with the streaked hair pointing the gun at them. "And why did she call you 'Rider'?"

The girl's eyes darted over to him for a moment but she quickly returned her attention to Finn. "That's what we call thieves around here. Free-riders or you know Riders for short."

"Oh." He said thinking of the boy sneaking in the tower, knocking him out and stealing his mother's necklace. "I guess I can understand that."

The girl moves closer. "You've got a lot of nerve coming in here, especially with just him as back-up." She says nodding towards Blaine.

Finn shrugged casually. "I think if you stretch your memory back then you'd realize this is all just a big misunderstanding and…" Finn trails off looking Blaine up and down. "He's not my _anything_."

Blaine frowned. He didn't know why that almost hurt, it was true afterall. "F—Rider is just helping me with something." He said quietly trying to ignore the guns pointed at them and all of the people staring at him. This is easily the most people's he ever seen and even though he wants a moment to stare at them—to see if they're different or if they're like him, he also wants get away from the staring peering eyes.

The girl sighed and lowered her gun, quickly putting the safety back on. "Puck escort Rider to the backroom so we can have a… discussion, girls get back to work and please keep an eye on Rider's _nothing_ over here."

A blonde waitress stepped forward, a frown on her pretty face. "You want us to babysit?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. How old did everyone think he was? He wasn't that young.

"I want you to do what I say. Is that clear enough or you?" The girl said before walking away. Before Blaine could say anything else Puck, the guy holding the gun started to move, a hand wrapped around Finn's arm and leaving him presumably to the backroom.

Finn sighed and Blaine caught the frustrated look that ran over his face. "Blaine, just stay out here and don't cause any trouble."

"Sure thing Rider." He said sarcastically. "Just try not to get shot."

One of the waitresses came over. She was small with dark hair and brown eyes with a nice smile. "Hello I'm Rachel Berry, future star. Are you also a thief?"

Blaine blinked and that so to say opened the floodgates as the girl—Rachel started talking at an almost incomprehensible speed. First the bar, now this crazy girl? He was definitely getting Finn-Rider back for this.

-chapter 3 end-


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: **thanks to everyone who reviewed and I don't think there's much I have to say about this chapter except that something occurs that Blaine has no knowledge about and I'm assuming some people might think it's a bit extreme but you have to remember that I'm trying to get Blaine somewhat right in which he's had a very very closed off environment and his main system of knowledge is his mother, a radio occasionally and books most of which aren't very modern. (Unlike Disney's Rapunzel who can magically adapt to her new situation.)

Sorry about the long wait, I had about 85% of this done for about a month but then it forever with the last bit. Next one will be a shorter wait I promise.

-Line break-

Tina sighed at him. "I swear to god Rider this is the last time I do you a favor." She wasn't quite sure how every time the thief somehow got his way. "You understand?"

Rider smiled smugly at her. "Of course and I appreciate this fully. Now if you don't mind I'm going to get back to the kid and make sure your waitresses haven't crushed his delicate state of innocence." Hadn't that been what he wanted? To scare Blaine into wanting to go home?

"Who is he anyway? He doesn't look a thing like a fucking thief. Not like those two big guys you were hanging around with before." Puck said from his spot on the counter, gun resting next to him.

Rider froze and then shook his head. "Like I said before he's no one. Just an overly annoying mark with a bad sense of hair and style."

Puck laughed. "All I know is that in the year you've been comin' here you've never brought a mark before, you barely bring those clowns with you." His eyes gleamed. "He must be something special then?"

Rider rolled his eyes. "He's nothing but if your waitresses ruin him then I don't get paid."

Tina watched him leave shaking her head. When he thought he was a safe distance away Puck looked over at his boss and asked. "Whatcha' bet they're sleeping together?"

"Nothing. You know Rider—he's a thief yes, and a cheat but he's not like that." Tina's eyes softened and she paused trying to think of an accurate way to describe someone like Rider. "Underneath it all he's soft I guess. He's always polite to the waitresses and even _you_ when you're an ass to him. So I think if he did something it probably wouldn't be some fling. You know?"

Puck grinned. "I bet fifteen that they're definitely doing it."

She sighed. "You are so hopeless that sometimes I even wonder why my old man hired you."

"Mystery of life babe, mystery of life."

-Line break-

Blaine was still in one piece when Kurt got back so he considered the fact that Rachel and Quinn (more Rachel than Quinn) weren't as irritating then he thought or maybe it just took longer than ten minutes. Had he thought Rachel annoying the first time he'd come here? It was so long ago that he couldn't remember clearly.

"—are you listening to me?" Rachel asked but Quinn was the one who answered rolling her eyes. "Of course he's not Berry, eventually everyone has to either stop listening to you or risk losing their hearing."

No, no still as annoying as ever, must have been some weird thing with the kid then. Of course he had some immunity to the combined psychotics of Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray.

"Sorry ma'am, not really." The kid apologized smiling politely at Rachel.

Kurt strode over and sat down next to him, pretending not to notice the kid's look of surprise. "Rider." Quinn greeted smiling slightly and Rachel frowned at him. So she still hadn't forgiven him for last time.

"I'm assuming that since there's not a bullet in your brain you and Tina have worked everything out? How long will you be staying this time?" Quinn asked ignoring Rachel.

Kurt glanced over at Blaine who was steadily looking down and tracing designs into the wood of the table. Odd, he was usually so happy. He hadn't seen the kid shut up the entire way here and now nothing? He'd almost think he was shy but then he remembered that Blaine had gone off with him with only a few words and hopeful eyes.

"A day or two, nothing longer." It would only take a day at the most for a normal person to realize just how weird the _New Directions Bar_ really was. For someone as odd as Blaine someone he still couldn't completely figure out it would take two days but he doubted any longer.

Blaine would go back screaming to his tower in no time.

"Where are you two from?" Blaine asked quietly.

Rachel smiled at him widely. "From right here in McKinley, in a year I'm planning on moving away and reaching my goal of stardom."

"I'm from Columbus." Quinn said more subdued, eyes far away. "I _moved _here two years ago."

Rachel looked over at her fellow waitress carefully and then subtle changed the subject. "Where are you from…kid?"

Blaine smiled at her and then paused becoming silent. Kurt wondered what was taking him so long and then realized that Blaine probably didn't know, judging from his reaction earlier and to everything else the kid hadn't left the tower often. "You wouldn't know it." he said cutting in. "It's a small town near Columbus."

"Are you sure? Because while Ohio is not my preferred state I do have an extensive knowledge of it from traveling around with my fathers—"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm very sure Rachel."

"Fathers?" Blaine asked staring at her with curious eyes as if he'd never heard of…..

_Oh no way...shit_ Kurt thought immediately looking over at Rachel. Seriously how sheltered was this kid? When they left if his plan to scare Blaine off hadn't been successful Kurt was going to have to talk to him.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Yes _fathers_ as in two. Is that a problem?"

Blaine's eyes widened and he shook his head, surprised at her sharp tone. "No, no I just…I-I."

"Berry, leave him alone." Quinn instructed though the friendly look had disappeared from her face.

Kurt sighed. He was going to need a lot of wine for the rest of tonight. "Rachel he's not trying to offend you or me, kid here has no concept of gay people."

"What?" Quinn said but Rachel kind of shrieked and both girls looked around.

Quinn glanced over at Blaine whose still staring at them with wide slightly afraid eyes, his hands are gripping the table and he looks ready to dart. "Is that true?"

Blaine nodded slowly and Rachel's mouth dropped open slightly. "How is that even possible?"

Yes he could definitely feel a headache coming and he held up his hand signaling for his usual. "I told you kid lived in a small town and by small I mean very small. It's a bit unusual considering its Ohio but…well I guess the closest definition you could have for it is that the town is Amish though that's not technically correct."

"So he doesn't know about anything modern?"

"Not really, no. He knows what a TV is and what a movie theater is but he's never seen either. If I'm being honest this is really his first time being away from home and you being harsh with him won't help anything."

Rachel's eyes widened. "Wow, I guess that falls to us to educate him?" she said slowly becoming more excited.

"Rachel I'm not sure that's necessary—" Rachel cut him off and he just shook his head taking a sip of his drink. Maybe Rachel's insane lecture would help his purpose of scaring Blaine.

"Kid do you have any questions specifically?" Rachel said realizing she should address anything he already had before she overwhelmed him.

"How does it work? Having two fathers." He added, trying to wrap his mind around having even one. When he was younger he'd tried getting his mother to tell him stories about his father but she rarely did the memories too painful, eventually he'd stopped and put whatever regret he had behind him. It was fine just him and mother. They didn't need anyone else.

"It's the same as your parents I suppose. There's nothing different, I didn't miss out on anything by having two dads and not a mom and a dad."

"Right." Blaine said even though he didn't really get it.

"And now kid let me introduce you to all that the world has to offer." Rachel said with a grin.

By the time Rachel (and occasionally Quinn when she had something to say) finished talking with Blaine the sky had grown dark outside, the bar slowly becoming empty of its day crowd and Kurt had finished his third drink.

With the bar becoming filled with its nighttime patrons Quinn and Rachel quickly left heading back to their tables. "Feeling overwhelmed?" He asked hiding a smirk as Blaine rubbed tiredly at his eyes.

"A little bit." He admitted.

Perfect. "It's completely understandable if you want to head bac—"

"Is it what Rachel says it is?"

"What?"

Blaine took a breath. "Is it what she says? Paris and New York, and London and every other place and every other thing she mentioned. Is it really as great as she said?"

He didn't know Blaine very well, he didn't know him at all honestly and the start of their interaction had been him breaking into his tow—home but even he could sense that somehow this meant something to Blaine, something important and very slowly, very carefully he nodded. "Yes it is."

If it was possible confirming it made him look almost defeated; shoulders slouching forward and caving in as he looked down. "Of course it is. Of course it, all of it, is as wonderful as she says."

"Kid—"

He shook his head abruptly, eyes closed almost painfully tight. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, that's fine." What was he supposed to say? He'd gotten what he wanted hadn't he? Except he really hadn't. Blaine looked miserable and upset not scared and that hadn't been his intention.

"Your name isn't Finn is it?" Blaine said suddenly and he stared at him for a moment.

Should he lie? Did it really matter if he did? At this rate the kid was going home by tomorrow. "No it's not."

Blaine studied him. "Alright then since I know that you don't like being called Finn what do you want me to call you? Rider?"

"Why do you think that I don't like being called Finn?"

He shrugged. "Whenever I call you Finn or even when you say it you just get this pained look on your face, it's just a quick flash but I figured that if it happens every time I say it then it must mean something to you."

Unbelievable. This kid, this less than farm-boy kid had read him so easily. Trained thieves hadn't been able to do so but Blaine had after a few days. "Rider is fine." He croaked out.

Blaine nodded and went back to looking around the bar, his depressed mood apparently behind him as quickly as it came. Kurt just shook his head and raised his hand for another glass.

Before he could even get his drink he was interrupted by Blaine's hand nudging his. "Rider, let's dance."

If he'd had his drink and if he'd been a bit less civilized than he probably would have spit it out. "What? Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Blaine grinned at him. "Can you dance? Because it's fine if you can't."

Kurt's eyes narrowed at him. "I can dance perfectly fine, better than you I'm sure, but the answer is still no."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to dance with you." He snapped and Blaine flinched back, eagerness fading.

"Fine." He muttered getting up and sliding out of the both, heading toward the crowd of people.

"Kid, where the hell are you going?"

Blaine turned and glared at him. "Finding someone who does want to dance with me." He said sarcastically disappearing into the crowd.

Kurt groaned. "Goddamn it." Of course Blaine didn't understand why they couldn't dance. Blaine didn't understand that despite everything Rachel had said and everything he'd wryly added that it was still dangerous for people like him to dance together in public. Maybe he'd feel differently if he was back home surrounded by friends and family but he was alone and on his own. He had only himself and if that meant hiding himself and not getting beat up from guys infinitely dumber than him but infinitely bigger then damn it all he'd stay safe because he still had a job to do and his family to think of.

People may have been suspicious of the thief known only as Rider then at least it was because they were worried about him still valuables and family heirlooms and not because of his sexuality.

He wouldn't change his mind just because a pretty and stupid boy had asked him to dance.

"Having fun?" Quinn said sitting down.

He frowned at her. "Shouldn't you be off asking people if they want fries with that?"

"Wrong kind of restaurant and you know it. Now what happened with kid?"

"Nothing happened with kid, we're both having wonderful times. Can't you tell?"

"Well he is, considering the fact that he's dancing with half the bar but I don't think you are and that's why."

Kurt sighed. "It's nothing Quinn, please just drop it."

Quinn reached out and shoved his shoulder lightly but hard enough to get him to look at her. "Don't make a mistake. Whatever there is between you two I think it's something special and I don't want you to mess that up because you're scared or worried. Don't fuck it up, I've done that before with a lot of things in my life and it's horrible, miserable actually and I don't want to see you make the same mistakes."

She patted his shoulder once more before getting up, heading back towards the bar and getting ready to serve another table.

"I'm trying not to make a mistake." Kurt said softly.

He looked back at the drink and sighed, before standing up and getting ready to look for Blaine.

"So you really don't know anything about comics?" the tall blond man that Blaine was sitting closest to asked. "Like at all?" In total with Blaine there were six of them at the table; Sam, Wes, Nick, David, and, Sebastian.

Blaine shook his head. "Sorry, not really. Are they any good?"

"Oh god, don't get him started on the comics." A voice, David's said, from the other end of the table. "Not again. Please I beg of you."

Sam glared at him. "What's wrong with comics?"

"Nothing for a thirteen year old boy but you're twenty-three. Get over it already and stop sleeping in the spidey pj's." David said sarcastically though not cruelly and clearly this was an issue between them that he wouldn't understand.

"I so do not have spider man pajamas but if I did they would be kick ass and you fucking know it Heeley." Sam smirked at him. "Besides at least I don't knit."

"You said you'd never mention that!" David screeches and before Blaine can say anything Wes is intervening, Nick is shaking his head but laughing and Sebastian is still staring at him with the same intense look he's had for the past fifteen minutes.

Blaine glances quickly over at Sebastian and then decides to keep his attention on David and Sam.

"There you are kid; I thought I'd never find you." Rider said appearing out of nowhere, a fake-smile on his face.

"Rider? What are you doing here?" Blaine hasn't quite realized that all sound has stopped from behind him.

"You said you wanted to dance didn't you?" Rider said with a smirk, glancing dismissively at the other thieves. "Warblers." He greeted lazily even as he was panicking. Damn it all the kid had to pick thieves as friends, low level thieves but thieves and thugs none the less.

He'd heard of the warblers before. A crew that despite its unusual members was fully capable of causing damage. They'd met a few times in the past and he doubted that they, like Tina, would be as forgiving.

"Rider." Wes greeted with narrowed eyes, a small scowl on his face. "Nice to see you again."

Sebastian snorted.

Blaine looked between them. "Do you guys know each other?"

"You could say that." Sam said, reaching down for his knife and never taking his eyes off of the other thief.

Rider had already pulled out his own knife, quicker than Blaine could see and immediately the other warblers pulled out their own weapons, defensive and edgy. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

_This isn't good. _Blaine stepped forward, pushing his way in between them. "Look I don't care what's going on between you guys but I need you to leave Rider alone."

"Blaine I can handle this." Rider hissed trying to pull him behind him.

"You should stay out of this." Nick agreed. "For your own safety."

Blaine turned around and glared at him, a frown on his face. "I'm sure you can handle this, but my way doesn't involve anyone getting stabbed."

"Why do you care anyway? You seem like too nice a kid to get involved with a low down thief like him." David asked curiously.

Rider bit his tongue to squish the words of hypocrite. He wasn't stupid, angering them would only get him or the kid stabbed and even Tina wouldn't lend a helping hand against five rowdy thieves. "He is a nice kid so why don't we ignore him and go somewhere else." He said quickly.

"I need him; he's helping me with a favor." Blaine said tersely and at their prodding looks continued. "I need him to bring me to the city and back. Whatever…_business _you all have, it can't wait a few more days?"

The warblers looked to Wes eyes still curious and hands still itching with the desire to stab a certain thief. At last, when Blaine thought he'd spent forever waiting, Wes slowly nodded and lowered his knife in return Rider put his away and jerked Blaine behind him a fierce expression on his face.

"We are so talking about your choices in "friends" later." He muttered quietly.

Out of all the warblers Sebastian took it the hardest. "Are you seriously letting him go?" he demanded incredulously, "It's Finn Rider! Do you realize what are chances are of catching the bastard again?"

Rider rolled his eyes. "Cut the act you dramatic queen, we're coming back here on our way back, if you still want a fight then I won't be a coward." He nodded at Wes in thanks and then set back for his own table pulling Blaine along with him.

"I can't believe you." He said sullenly, arms crossed and fuming not too silently. "You let him go after what he did last time."

Wes sat down and started to drink his beer, still looking over thoughtfully at Rider and Blaine's retreating forms. "He'll be back." He said simply. "Besides I wouldn't want to kill him in front of his boyfriend."

"How much brain damage do you have?" Rider snapped out, shoving Blaine against the wall. After leaving the warblers he'd taken a look at their table and then had dragged Blaine towards the back of the place ignoring Rachel's snickers.

Blaine stumbled but caught himself, staring at the thief with wide eyes. "What did I do wrong?" he said quickly growing angry. "I saved your life didn't I?"

"Saved my life?" He scoffed. "All you did was beg in front of a bunch of drunken thieves. I could have beaten them easily but instead you humiliated me and probably would have gotten yourself killed."

"You are such a…such an ass!" Blaine shouted, and for a minute he was concerned about someone hearing them but the music was too loud at this point to hear much of anything else. No one else had made him angry like Rider did. But then again he'd never met very many people before and definitely not someone like Rider.

"Is that the best you've got?" Rider smirked and in response Blaine did something he had never done before: he hit him.

Rider flinched back from the hit but Blaine was new and clumsy and in more pain then he was because he hadn't done it correctly. As soon as Blaine looked back up Rider struck him, a quick flick of his hand and suddenly his face was in pain, sharper and worse than anything he'd felt before though he had the feeling that he was holding back.

"Feel any better?" Rider asked, somewhat breathlessly as they both calmed down and Blaine slowly nodded.

"I guess so." He'd never understand Rider that much he knew and that was just as well. Understanding led to things he wasn't ready to think about, things that he feared Rider would make him think about anyway.

"Good, now we should get some sleep, we've got a long journey tomorrow—" The music stopped abruptly and there was a loud bang, like a door slamming open. Everything was silent and Blaine opened his mouth to speak when Rider leaned forward and covered his mouth, pulling him closer to the shadows at the same time.

_I have a horrible feeling about this_. Rider thought, knowing that there was a very limited amount of possibilities that could close down a bar full of criminals. All of them were not good.

The door that separated the back from the front opened silently and Rider slowly drew out his knife, ignoring Blaine's muffled protests. Tina stepped forward, closing the door behind her. "It's the police." She hissed out. "They're looking for you. You two need to leave now."

"Goddamn it." Rider muttered. "How? There's only two doors and both of them are out front."

Tina shook her head, shoving them out of her way as she opened a door they hadn't noticed before. It looked like an average pantry stacked full of can food. "What are you—" Rider was cut off as part of the pantry slowly slid open revealing a dark tunnel.

"The end of the tunnel leads you to the outskirts of McKinely." She said quietly. "If you be careful you'll be fine and make it out in no time."

"Tina." Rider said hesitantly, surprised but she shook her head, eyes gruff.

"Damn it Rider, this isn't the time to get soft on me, get your boy and get the hell out of here as fast as you can."

"Yes ma'am." He said and then he and Blaine were running down the tunnel with only the dim light of torches hanging off the wall showing them in the dark.

Tina sighed. "The things I do for that boy." She turned to head back to the front, because hey police or not she still had a restaurant to run and god knows Puck couldn't hold down the fort for even five minutes, when she turned however she slammed into something hard and it sent her skidding back.

"What?" she said in confusion, rubbing at her sore chest.

Half of the McKinley Police force stood in front of her, staring down at her with fierce and angry eyes, two of them holding a sullen looking Puck. To someone else, they might have looked impressive dressed in their red uniforms and carrying their guns, but Tina wasn't a coward. "Ma'am we're gonna need to know where that tunnel lets out at."

She was going to kill Rider the next time she saw him.

-chapter end-


End file.
